Caffe Vivaldi
“There was a a guitar strumming duo of singers playing and the setting was deliciously intimate.”
“It may be small, and now with the grand piano (last time I was there they did not have the piano as I recall) there are even fewer seats.”
“You walk in and feel the history, that artistic, intellectual vibe that hearkens back to the beat poets and singer/songwriters.”
Caffe Vivaldi
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Came here for a late night drink with a friend.
Pros: very generous pours for wine, cool ambiance, and live music. Open late.
Cons: cheese plate was underwhelming; didn't particularly like any of the cheeses and it was just some large, thick slabs of cheese rather than the nice, small slices that fit perfectly on crackers or bread. Not a great wine list either, but the generous pours made up for it.
If you look at this as a live music venue that has cafe, food, and bar offerings, you'll find it's one of the best atmospheres in the village for acoustic and nearly acoustic acts that range from singer-songwriter to modern chamber and classical music. If you look at it purely as a cafe that happens to offer live music in the evenings, you're missing it's greatest asset.
On a Saturday evening at 9:15pm, we arrived in time to get a spot for our friends performing at 9:30pm. The place seemed packed, but after looking a little longer from outside the window, there were still some easy to find seats. We could have walked in mid-song, but as trained musicians, it's habit for us to wait for clapping between songs to enter the room. We grabbed seats that were unoccupied, but had some cups and a partial wine glass in front of them- perhaps not yet removed from the previous visitors. There's really no place to hide here- so if a seat is open, it's free to sit in. I'd say the room holds 40 people at most- so it's very intimate and many of the people in the room had a relationship with the band performing- so some back and forth with the audience was involved as well.
After a song or so, the only server in the room came over and gave us a menu to browse and asked us if we knew what we wanted. We took another song or two to browse the menu before she returned. I went for the Brandy Apple Cider ($8) and the husband went for an Affogatto. Drink prep and service took a little while- because she was making the drinks and the rounds for everyone in the room- but I liked the relaxed pace and not feeling rushed or forced on drinks. One guy ordered a bottle of champagne to share with his friends, which is a great idea if you bring a group of people who may want lots of drink refills at different times.
The sound is controlled by the musicians and the speakers in the room are as much their monitors as they are amplification for the audience. Because the room is small- the music rarely ever gets so loud that a conversation can't be heard- which also means that a loud conversation next to you may occasionally feel disruptive to the music- however it rarely lasts too long before everyone is fully immersed in the music again. When the music is playing- most people are all-in with their attention on the music, and conversation happening in-between songs or sets.
A tip jar was passed for the musicians- all of it goes directly to them rather than the venue taking a cut of a cover charge. I sincerely appreciated the fact that there wasn't a cover charge and cocktails were under $10- unlike some other establishments in the area. The set we came for lasted 1.5 hours, which seemed to fly by in no time.
If what you want is a chill and intimate place to relax and hear some great music- this is one of the best I've experienced in the village.
First things first: I called the day before and made a reservation for four. When we arrived (almost ten minutes early), the tiny place was packed, but one little table in the corner with a "reserved" sign was waiting for us. Success!
The service was quite slow. There was only one waitress (again, it's a VERY small place). I imagine they are in no hurry to get people in and out because they want and/or expect everyone to stick around for the musicians.
Our tiramisu was quite tasty, and I was very pleased to see it was made with lady fingers. It could have used more espresso flavor; it consisted mostly of cream (which isn't a terrible thing, but I really wanted the espresso!). It was the perfect size to split among three people for a small dessert.
Finally, our waitress never brought our change back. I mean, we would have tipped her about as much money as our change should have been, so it's not a big deal, but it was still a little rude for her to just welcome herself to our change…
Despite all of this, I enjoyed my time here and would totally come back! It's a really cozy, intimate setting in a great location, and the music is delightful. No cover charge? Awesome.
I had one of THE best cappuccinos I have ever had in my life there last night. I mean friggin' memorable cappuccino. How does someone accomplish that? I don't know but dang it, I want everyone to know they got it and a fire place…with fire in it.
Now this would be a nice first date place. Did not stay for the live music but whatevs. I'm about the caffeine and dessert after dinner anyways. 🙂
I'll start with the not-so-pros to get them out of the way: The food is solidly average and very much on the pricey side ($7 for a pot of tea?). Service got better as the night wore on, but it was nothing to write home about.
Now for the pros: Come for the live music! I was here for a pal's show. This is a wonderfully intimate little space – he was preceded by a jazz trio who sounded absolutely fantastic, and his piano-vocal set sounded great as well.
Woohoo music 🙂
Solid spot for a relaxing night out. My friend and I had dinner around the West Village and wanted to just chill and listen to jazz. We stumbled upon this place instead. The atmosphere was quite cozy for a cool crisp October night. The place was small but intimate. Everyone was just focused on the music that's being poured of the musicians' souls. A glass of white wine, great music, and company made it a night to remember. I'm definitely coming back here again!
Caffe Vivaldi is a quaint little spot in the city where you'll have an opportunity to see various performances. I personally came here for a poetry reading by women inspired by Audrey Hepburn.
The first thing you'll notice about the place is how very small it is. They really can't cram that many tables/chairs in here. The worst thing about the small space – the bathroom. I could barely move into and then close the door in the men's bathroom. It took some maneuvering on my part to accomplish this simple task. I'd say that if you weigh more than 170, you're def not going to fit in that bathroom.
The decor in the place is lovely. The east wall has a grid of black and white pictures of great men throughout history and the rest of the places makes you feel like you've walked into a French cafe in a movie.
Prices here were surprisingly reasonable and the Manhattan I drank was ok. Not the best I ever had, but not the worst. They have a good selection of beers as well, including all three chimays.
This is the type of place I'd like to go to on an off hour, but would stay away from at peak.
Two musicians walking through the village looking for a place to chat. Well, of course, Caffe Vivaldi catches our nerd eye. Better yet, there's live jazz music. World's collide and we enter, looking forward to the evening.
Caffe Vivaldi has a great ambiance to it, a wonderful selection of wines and small plates, and excellent service. We stayed well into the evening just chatting, enjoying each other's company as well as the cafe around us.
I'd definitely recommend stopping in here one night. Tucked away from the rowdy Bleeker St crowds, this is a gentle spot – great for friends, for dates, and perhaps even an evening out with yourself.